Bears in Pollock Pines get Chicken Take-Out

"We woke up on Sunday July 13th to find that a bear (possibly a Mama and cub) had ripped into our chicken coop and eaten 10 chickens. Please remember that garbage and other “food” items attract wildlife, so keep your yard clean and “food” free.

Placerville Newswire | 2014-07-15

POLLOCK PINES, Calif. - Matt Montgomery had fortified the enclosure with heavy duty chain link fencing following earlier attacks by raccoons and a mountain lion, but on Sunday a sheet of plywood was pried off the 4X4 frame by what he believes was a mother black bear and her cub that tore into his chicken coop early Sunday morning and killed 10 chickens.

Amy Dial-Montgomery reported, "We woke up on Sunday July 13th to find that a bear (possibly a Mama and cub) had ripped into our chicken coop and eaten 10 chickens (the coop was completely enclosed)! Note that this was a piece of plywood nailed into a 4X4 post. This is the first time we have had the bear get into anything other than garbage cans. This same night we also had a bear climb over and destroy a 4 foot tall fence and climb onto our deck right next a sliding glass door of a room we are always in! It is not afraid of lights or people! Please keep your animals and children inside at night. Also please remember that garbage and other “food” items attract wildlife, so keep your yard clean and “food” free. They have been routinely getting into garbage cans brought up the night before garbage pickup day. We are near the Forebay end of Blair."

Jenifier wrote, "I live around there too. My dogs started going crazy about 330 this morning!"

Matt Montgomery said different-sized claw marks led him to the conclusion it was the mother and cub that have been seen recently in his neighborhood on Quick Silver Road. "They normally just go after the garbage cans at the end of the street," he said. "Nothing like this has happened before."

Amy Dial-Montgomery said, Definitely bear claw marks where it lifted wood to peel it back, fur around hole where it went in and out. Calling fish and game in am, closed Sundays."

Matt Montgomery said the bears also climbed the stairs to his back deck and tried to get at younger chickens in a brooding coop. The coop was dragged across the deck, but the bears were apparently unable to reach the chickens inside.

Yevonne wrote, "If a bear and her cubs are not afraid lights or people - that is not a good thing. If things continue you may need to let the fish and game know."

Roseanna added, "They just had something in the new about bear in Tahoe. Because of the drought they are coming down closer to people. Looking for food and water. One male they found on the beach of Tahoe with people around, they did put him down because he wasn't afraid of people. So it's a big problem! Stay safe."

Matt Montgomery has heard reports of so-called "drought bears" becoming increasingly aggressive in their desperate search for food. That has him worried about his wife and three children. "We have five sliding-glass doors. It's been on the deck already. I'm afraid it's going to come inside the house," he said.Montgomery said he would try to scare the bears with an air horn if they returned but would seek a depredation permit (which allows the permittee or designee to kill the offending bear) from the Department of Fish and Wildlife if the noise doesn't work.

Laura wrote, "Teaching the baby how to work the drive through... Im a chicken lover.. this bear is a big problem. Did you know that 1 or 2 strands of hot wire will knock a bear for a loop?"

Tina added, "it's one of the same two bears been visiting our house for 3 or so years now. One was On my deck outside my window one night and it's no little bear. Sure would be nice if it was moved but I was told 'until it damages your car or your home, it's not a threat'"

"This bear is not afraid of anything and it is definitely a hazard to people," Matt Montgomery said.